MUMBAI: In the IPL 2025 clash on Wednesday, April 2, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, fast bowler Mohammed Siraj delivered an outstanding performance for Gujarat Titans in his first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Representing Gujarat after being released by RCB before the mega auction, Siraj’s fiery spell earned him the Player of the Match award with impressive bowling figures of 3 for 19.
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After Shubman Gill won the toss and decided to field, Siraj set the tone early by dismantling RCB’s batting lineup. The Hyderabad pacer struck twice in the powerplay, dismissing Phil Salt and Devdutt Padikkal. The troubles for RCB continued as Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar fell cheaply, leaving the hosts struggling at 42 for 4 by the seventh over. Gujarat Titans capitalized on the early breakthroughs and comfortably won the match by eight wickets. Siraj’s fierce bowling display proved instrumental in Gujarat’s dominant victory.
Siraj was a part of RCB for the last seven years and this year, he is playing from GT’s side. The bowler opened up about feeling nervous and said, "It was emotional because I played here for seven years. There was some nervousness and some emotion, but the moment I got the ball in my hand, it was full on."
New Season
New Team
But the '𝙎𝙞𝙪𝙪𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙟 𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣' does not chang
Updates https://t.co/teSEWkXnMj #TATAIPL | #RCBvGT | @mdsirajofficial pic.twitter.com/VfvK4ZC20i— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 2, 2025
Siraj’s skillful bowling earned him a ‘Player of the Match’ award trophy as he was successful in stopping the opposite team at 169 for 8 in 20 years. Despite some sloppy fielding, Gujarat ensured RCB did not post a daunting total.
Liam Livingstone and Tim David were the only Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batters who showed some resistance, but Gujarat Titans' bowlers maintained relentless pressure throughout the innings. Mohammed Siraj played a crucial role, dismissing Livingstone in the penultimate over, denying RCB the vital 10-15 extra runs they were hoping for.
Siraj, who was fired up against his former team, celebrated each of his three wickets with Cristiano Ronaldo’s signature celebration. The fast bowler has made an impressive start to his IPL 2025 campaign with Gujarat Titans, claiming five wickets in three matches. Although he had a costly outing against Punjab Kings, conceding 54 runs, he bounced back with a match-winning two-wicket performance against Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad.
On Wednesday, Siraj seemed to have found his rhythm again in the familiar conditions of Bengaluru. His absence from international cricket since India’s tour of Australia, along with his exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad, had raised doubts about his form. Even Indian skipper Rohit Sharma had previously mentioned Siraj’s struggles with the new ball.
However, the experienced pacer is proving his worth in the T20 format, demonstrating his ability to bowl effectively across all phases of the innings. Reflecting on his recent resurgence, Siraj credited his time off and valuable guidance from Gujarat Titans’ head coach Ashish Nehra.
“I was playing continuously, so I wasn’t fully aware of the mistakes I was making. During the break, I worked on my bowling and fitness. When I joined GT, I spoke to Ashu bhai, who encouraged me to relax and enjoy my game. The ball is coming out nicely now,” Siraj shared.
With two consecutive wins under their belt, Gujarat Titans will be riding high on confidence as they prepare to face SunRisers Hyderabad on Sunday, April 7.
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